Far East - July 2011

[Progressive]

Me and a friend are off to the far east for 2 weeks in July. Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Beijing. Equal time in each.

Our route has been determined mainly by the cost of flights. While I know you can't see a city in it's entirety or even the tip of the iceberg, that's what we have got to work with.

Any advice on things to do / not do, travel tips, things to see...


Cheers,

[mathewb]

Progressive said:

Me and a friend are off to the far east for 2 weeks in July. Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Beijing. Equal time in each.

Our route has been determined mainly by the cost of flights. While I know you can't see a city in it's entirety or even the tip of the iceberg, that's what we have got to work with.

Any advice on things to do / not do, travel tips, things to see...


Cheers,

Hong Kong is probably my favourite city in the world that I've visited so far - the other 3 I haven't been to! Just amazing. In terms of things to do, my primary recommendation would be to visit the Big Buddha via the Ngong Ping cable car. Do try to pick a relatively clear day obviously.

[Mr Pointy]

Don't plan on spending too long in Singapore. It's ok for a couple of days to recover from the flight but move on pretty quickly. There's much better things to see in the other cities on your list.

Orchard Towers is well worth a visit though

Edited by Mr Pointy on Tuesday 8th February 20:49

[pokethepope]

What 'type' of traveller are you? I've done all of the cities you're visting, and if you are wanting to stay in hostels the advice I can give is peruse the various threads on this forum but the best way is to ask the hostel employees and other travellers where to eat, visit etc, and they nearly always have guidebooks you can use while you are there.

[Progressive]

We have budgeted for cheap(ish) hotels. Done 2 weeks in hostels around Europe a couple of years ago. While I didn't mind it, we have decided against it this time.

[mathewb]

Progressive said:

We have budgeted for cheap(ish) hotels. Done 2 weeks in hostels around Europe a couple of years ago. While I didn't mind it, we have decided against it this time.

Sounds a good decision. Looks like an awesome few weeks pal, have fun

[pokethepope]

Have a look on the usual hostel websites, and you should find nice 'hotel-like' private twins for very cheap. For example, i stayed in this one everytime I went to Ho Chi, you can get a nice modern private room with decent beds, a/c and ensuite for about £5pp.

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/vietnam/ho-ch...

As you won't have much time in each city you'll presumably want to maximise your time and not spend too much of it in the hotel room, so something like the above should be perfect. I stayed in similar in Beijing, but hostels like that are harder to find in HK and Singapore, thats when you can splash out with the money you've saved!

[Bing o]

Progressive said:

Me and a friend are off to the far east for 2 weeks in July. Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Beijing. Equal time in each.

Our route has been determined mainly by the cost of flights. While I know you can't see a city in it's entirety or even the tip of the iceberg, that's what we have got to work with.

Any advice on things to do / not do, travel tips, things to see...


Cheers,

Singapore - Bird Park/Zoo/Night Safari. Sunday Brunch at the Fullerton or Swisshotel (71st floor). Sentosa. Clark Quay. Museums. Shopping.

Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi Tunnels, museums, sunset on the rooftop bar at the Hilton. The women - yum!

Hong Kong - Victoria Peak. Shopping. Kowloon. Night Markets. Lamma Island. Big Bhudda.

Beijing - Can't comment, as I've not been there.

Oh, and in July it's going to be disgustingly hot and humid, especially in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh.

[Mobile Chicane]

Bing o said:

Oh, and in July it's going to be disgustingly hot and humid, especially in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh.

Horrendously hot and humid. 35C (or more) with 85% relative humidity. On HK Island you can dart in and out of air-conditioned buildings / walkways on much of it. Kowloon, less so.

Takes lots of insect repellent / antibiotic cream. Since you'll be dripping with sweat and attracting dirt most of the time, any mosquito bite you get will rapidly turn nasty.

[Bing o]

Mobile Chicane said:

Bing o said:

Oh, and in July it's going to be disgustingly hot and humid, especially in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh.

Horrendously hot and humid. 35C (or more) with 85% relative humidity. On HK Island you can dart in and out of air-conditioned buildings / walkways on much of it. Kowloon, less so.

Takes lots of insect repellent / antibiotic cream. Since you'll be dripping with sweat and attracting dirt most of the time, any mosquito bite you get will rapidly turn nasty.

You do get used to it though - I still wear a tie to work. But for someone used to English weather it'll take some getting used to. In Hong Kong, you may well get very bad pollution that time of the year as the monsoon winds blow all the st down from the mainland.

Oh, and I forgot to add a visit to Macau whilst in HK if you have the time.

[Mobile Chicane]

Bing o said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Bing o said:

Oh, and in July it's going to be disgustingly hot and humid, especially in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh.

Horrendously hot and humid. 35C (or more) with 85% relative humidity. On HK Island you can dart in and out of air-conditioned buildings / walkways on much of it. Kowloon, less so.

Takes lots of insect repellent / antibiotic cream. Since you'll be dripping with sweat and attracting dirt most of the time, any mosquito bite you get will rapidly turn nasty.

You do get used to it though.

After about 3 weeks of drinking gallons of water a day (yet still p!ssing cognac), I concur...

[phumy]

Bing o said:

Progressive said:

Me and a friend are off to the far east for 2 weeks in July. Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Beijing. Equal time in each.

Our route has been determined mainly by the cost of flights. While I know you can't see a city in it's entirety or even the tip of the iceberg, that's what we have got to work with.

Any advice on things to do / not do, travel tips, things to see...


Cheers,

Singapore - Bird Park/Zoo/Night Safari. Sunday Brunch at the Fullerton or Swisshotel (71st floor). Sentosa. Clark Quay. Museums. Shopping.

Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi Tunnels, museums, sunset on the rooftop bar at the Hilton. The women - yum!

Hong Kong - Victoria Peak. Shopping. Kowloon. Night Markets. Lamma Island. Big Bhudda.

Beijing - Can't comment, as I've not been there.

Oh, and in July it's going to be disgustingly hot and humid, especially in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh.

Hilton in HCMC, wheres that then.....did you mean the Sheraton or Caravelle or Hyatt?

[XJSJohn]

Mr Pointy said:

Don't plan on spending too long in Singapore. It's ok for a couple of days to recover from the flight but move on pretty quickly. There's much better things to see in the other cities on your list.

Orchard Towers is well worth a visit though

There is a lot more to Singapore than Orchard Road.

Can easily fill 4 or 5 days here without trying! (just recovering from hangovers will take up some time)

[v15ben]

I agree about Singapore. I've been 6 times now and still have a list of things to do on my next visit, whenever that is! Palau Ubin is on that list, the most original part of the place left apparently. I'd also recommend going to the roof of Marina Bay Sands and eating laksa and nasi goreng in any random hawker centre you find!

I've been to all 4 cities as well and would echo the advice from others for Singapore, Saigon and Hong Kong.

For Beijing I'd recommend a few things. Go to the Forbidden City for a few hours (amazing place), definitely visit the Great Wall but try and take a tour to one of the remote parts of the wall rather than the touristy section at Badaling. I found one through one of the hostels where our group of 8 were the only ones on a deserted, unrestored section out in the mountains. Breathtaking! The Summer Palace is always a good place for a half day or so.

One thing to say about Beijing and Hong Kong is that they will be really damn hot at that time of year with plenty of smog thrown in too. Not unbearable in my experience, but it will be uncomfortable if you've just come from the UK.

Edited by v15ben on Wednesday 9th February 06:45

[Hub]

XJSJohn said:

There is a lot more to Singapore than Orchard Road.

Can easily fill 4 or 5 days here without trying! (just recovering from hangovers will take up some time)

If you can afford to drink enough to get one!

I agree about the Marina Bay Sands - an amazing infinity pool up there to gawp at. Sentosa is a bit rubbish though.

[Progressive]

Cheers for all the advice. Didn't really consider the humidity. We can both only go in June so it might just have to be gin and bear it.

Any more useful information, keep it coming. It's greatly welcomed!

[v15ben]

Sentosa is OK, not spectacular. The luge thing and cable car are good fun for a while!

[XJSJohn]

Hub said:

If you can afford to drink enough to get one!

if you stay on orchard then yes, its expensive .... most of singapore its $6 for a 650ml beer.

Seems that alot of people are afraid to explore singapore and stay within 200 yards of their hotels.

[v15ben]

I'd agree with that John. I had plenty of cheap beers in backstreet places in Changi and on East Coast Road with my mate who went to school down there!

[Mr Pointy]

XJSJohn said:

Mr Pointy said:

Don't plan on spending too long in Singapore. It's ok for a couple of days to recover from the flight but move on pretty quickly. There's much better things to see in the other cities on your list.

Orchard Towers is well worth a visit though

There is a lot more to Singapore than Orchard Road.

Can easily fill 4 or 5 days here without trying! (just recovering from hangovers will take up some time)

Ok, how about you advise the OP about some of these things?

If they are looking at cheap hostels they won't want to be doing much shopping; it's not worth it as the exchange rate is rubbish. Places like Little India are interesting but overall there's precious little heritage to look at: they're too busy knocking it down. Hawker markets, well ok they are worth a look. Sentosa is ok for a weekend laze & a drink, but nothing special. Night zoo, yes not bad.

I too know where to get a jug of beer for cheap, but I don't think the OP is flying to the Far East for a pub crawl.

I like Singapore a lot but there's a good reason thousands of people leave at the weekend.